Can time heal everything
by Summers Groupie
Summary: Set in Evo, a possible future. After a while would things change and where would time take them? Can it bring them together again? Purely Jott. COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters. The situations I put them in I claim…

This is a little different than my usual style, but I think it's intruiging. Read it and tell me what you think. Again future Evo, possible future anyway...

* * *

Tears fell easily from her eyes, her heart was broken and there was nothing that could mend it, not anymore, only him. She wanted to be stronger, she wanted to hold them back, but her eyes stung if she did not let them fall, so she saw no point in resisting… 

What was love if it was only one sided? Could it still be true love? Or was it a fickle pretence? And if it was, why did it hurt so much in the aftermath?

Her heart cried as it strained against her chest, striving almost to break out of her body and fall to the floor. The pain was unimaginable, yet she felt numb, void of everything but hurt and pain… her tears now fell slower, but steadier, her eyes wide and unblinking, her face showed no expression, though her eyes were red and puffy from the tears already shed.

The streaks of moisture left by trails of tiny drops of agony left as a reminder of lost love. Love, she scorned in her own mind, deep, unchanging, irrational, illogical, passionate, eternal love. What love such as this could cause such pain…?

Goosebumps danced up and down her skin, as her body began to calm, hitched breathing returning to normal and acceptance, harsh, horrid acceptance, setting in. Closing her eyes again she took a deep breath and tried to concentrate on the better times, but all she got was his face as he told her and the words echoing around her, telling her what she didn't want to hear, the words that she had been waiting to hear all that time, hoping they wouldn't come.

Her arms wrapped around herself and her hair was tangled from her fingers running through it in a haphazard way. The lips he had kissed her goodbye on were bright red and trembling, flushed from words called between the sobs that had wracked her body. Her hands were grazed after she had fallen to the floor, trying to stop the world spinning out of her control. Her legs were weaker than they had ever been and she was alone… No wound hurt more than that one. She was alone.

* * *

He braced himself as the wind stung against his eyes and tried to drag his coat open to blow its bitterness into his body. Daggers were already digging into his heart, pain unimaginable. He had spoken without remorse, she had believed him fully, but his strength almost gave as he saw her tears, as he felt his own heart break deep within his chest… 

Turning into his home, his refuge, the place that had so almost been theirs, he sank to the floor and gave in. Wet spread over his cheeks as he clenched his eyes closed, trying to stop himself, failing and hurting more each second.

What was love if it had to end? Why couldn't it overcome all odds? Why were such glorious pictures painted and everyday tragedies forgotten in the midst of yet another whirlwind romance? Why should it be them to end…?

He had loved, still loved, but his heart no longer beat in his body. It was stone, protected from the world, broken in many pieces and hidden from those who would use it as weakness. Love could not survive all, love could not conquer everything…

The others could no longer tease, they could no longer make fun of him for the girl he loved. For he no longer had her at his side and she no longer believed he loved her. Life would go on, life would continue without their loving, and she could find another. But he would remain alone. She was his one, his only and his lost. They couldn't have lasted, not with things how they were, not in this world. No, he would be alone, as he was now.

His hands rolled into fists, then loosened, no longer could they save him. His eyes opened and he stared ahead, focusing on the memory of her face when he had walked away. Pain stabbed at him again and a dry sob escaped his throat, causing him to tilt his head back and press it into the wall behind him, scrunching his eyes shut again. This was what he had done. This was how it would be from now on. And he was to face it alone.

* * *

Together they were one, apart they were nothing. A choice made by doubts, two hearts broken by pressure, three chances lay ahead. Easy as one, two, three… Or is it…?

* * *

Jean Grey – fiery, loving, strong, passionate, intelligent, devoted. She is everything a man would desire, with a free spirit to match her free red hair and mischief to match the sparkle in her emerald green eyes. Her lips warm and soft, tantalising and hypnotising any who spoke to her and a quick pink tongue to catch the unaware out and a flash of white teeth that showed when she spoke, teased or cried. 

Her laugh was one that carried and infected any who passed, bringing happiness and light to even the darkest and loneliest of places. Her voice was one that held enchantment, bewitching and ensnaring the listener, whilst being clear and uplifting; a voice for speaking, for carrying words that the world should hear, for telling the world of the dream that one man had – one of peace and brotherhood, of understanding and acceptance.

The body of this woman could not be matched or surpassed by even a goddess, toned and tanned, lean yet muscular, and the grace that she possessed only heightened the effect of an untouchable, perfect woman. One who could love, one who could fight, one who would never give up and one who would be content with nothing but perfection.

None knew that she had found perfection, and lost it. She had given up fighting and could no longer love. Her eyes that once shone had dimmed, the heart that could beat for a thousand lives had been stilled. Her laugh had grown dusty from disuse and her smile was merely a façade. Her life was emptier than a vast desert plain and all from the loss of one man.

* * *

Scott Summers – quiet, determined, leader, lover, shy, devoted. He is all a woman asks for in her prayers at night, with a heart to beat in time with hers and shoulders to carry all their problems that he would take willingly. His eyes forever hidden by ruby-rose glasses, but his smile one that makes hearts skip a beat and make breaths catch. 

His soft voice was listened to by any, gentle yet firm, guiding yet open, leaving the listener waiting for his next word and remembering how he pronounced it, how his lips moved to form the words and yet have no power unless he said them. His laugh was rare and exciting, rich and honest, displaying emotion that he could never show with his eyes and emotion he strived to hide from the world lest it backfire and hurt anyone.

Any movement he made was fluid and flawless, agility that he seemed, on face value, not to have. Muscular and slim, he made more than one heart flutter and radiated a warmth that seemed too good to be true. Indeed if anyone reached out, it was gone. It gave the impression of yearning, knowing there would be one woman that could reach and pull him from himself.

None knew that he had had such a woman at his side once. One that had seen and felt and loved all of him. But he had lost her. His smiles were no longer seen and his laugh was rarer than a dodo egg. The strength remained, but inside he was torn apart, weaker than an infant. His life was meaningless and led to an inevitable end.

* * *

Months pass between them, memories haunt them and yet they do not realise how important they are. Two hearts never healed, neither making the step that could save them both…

* * *

In the beginning neither wanted to be the first to admit it. She was his best friend. She could never push beyond that. What she felt was friendship, a deep friendship, nothing more. She dated a jock, she was popular, athletic, safe. She was different, yet the same. It was all okay. 

He dated and her life began to fall apart. She hid it, she hid the fears that she had begun to realise. She hid that she felt more than friendship for him and she kept dating the jock so he would never find out. She couldn't lie… Things changed.

Others found out she was different and without the popular, overbearing jock boyfriend, she was cast out. But so was he, he no longer dated the popular girl that made him fit in. He was different with her. They stood together and overcame. Life was good.

Her feelings deepened and frightened her, he might not feel the same. Every time she saw him it was painful not to hold him or tell him how much she felt. Avoiding him hurt more though, without him in her day, that whole day was wasted, bleak, empty. He felt the same and sealed it with a kiss. The world was wonderful.

School ended, they began to work together. Their love was stronger and deeper. Nothing could come between them, not a single thing could prevent their love overcoming all the odds. Forever didn't seem like far away.

He ended it.

Life ended the moment the words passed his lips…

* * *

They had been friends since he arrived that day, since she had said hello, there had been something between them. He felt it, he knew, but she seemed not to recognise it and he kept it to himself. But they were alike, together, friends. It would all be okay. 

School had made them separate. Different, separate crowds with similar tastes. He was like her, athletic and attractive, he dated a popular girl as revenge for her leaving him for a jock. His feeling for her never changed, but he tried to bury them… They shone through.

When she finished with the jock, when she revealed she never loved the boy she dated, he had hope. His feelings wouldn't be restrained. He lost the girl who he had tried to replace her with. He didn't care, he was in love and he knew it. He bit his tongue.

Fear kept him from telling her, but every day he would see her and his heart would pound. He would smile more and his life would brighten. She hid from him and his pain knew no limits, she came back and his love knew none. He kissed her and sparks flew. Love blossomed.

They grew up and remained connected. They grew wiser and understood each other more. Their souls matched and intertwined, their hearts were shared. They were one. Soul mates - the perfect pair. Love beyond all expectations and dreams.

Something changed.

There was no way out and no way back but it was so right it was wrong…

* * *

Too good to be true, yet true it was, the lives of the pair changed forever. Wanting, craving; fighting then losing faith. Talking to save them, could it have worked…?

* * *

Life jumps up at us when we least expect it. She never expected to be a doctor and a teacher. She expected to be a teacher, a wife and mother, but without him, that option was gone… 

Now she was a speaker, a protector, socially adept, wanted by many, living away from friends and family. Her life was one of glamour and marvellous things, full of handsome men, rich friends and high office. Being a doctor was simple, but being a world-renown one was more complex. Especially if the rich, famous and handsome men were chasing your every move, not to mention the women that wanted your friendship.

She hoped everyday when she rose that she would receive a letter, a call, a visit from him. Everyday when the men and women craved her autograph she looked for the flash of light reflecting from ruby-rose glasses. Everyday she was disappointed.

Sometimes changes happen too fast, and good situations change. He was a leader, respected and loved, he expected to lose it all, lose everything like he had before, but he had had hope. He had had a dream and had been loved.

Now he was a pilot, training in the armed forces, away from everything he knew, unable to think of anything beyond his task until lights out when he was so exhausted that he had no chance to think. But she haunted his dreams, and her face drifted in front of his eyes until the heaviness took over.

He couldn't imagine life without her entirely, though he was hidden and without her. She would never find him here, never would she think to look there. Everyday he looked for a surprise, a miracle and a swish of red hair, a pair of emerald green eyes. Everyday he was disappointed.

* * *

They wanted the past to be the present. They needed to turn back time. But time was one thing that would never be on their side, but perhaps fate would... Only time would tell

* * *

There you have it. Things are bad... They're apart... But time will tell if it stays that way. Review and find out if time heals all... 

Summers Groupie

-x-x-


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: X-Men characters don't belong to me, but this story does, hee hee!

I have a lot of apologies to make, but I'm hoping that my writing will make it up to you all, with a quick fire of updates. Maybe you'll enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Thank you, so much to: Wen, jenskott, amazing redd phoenix, Telepathic Angel, Diaz F

* * *

How long has passed since their breakup? Was it really five years? It didn't seem so short a time to Major Scott Summers. He had her face etched in front of his eyes, every woman that he met was compared to her and every woman that was compared lost.

He knew he was in love with her. He knew that he could never love another. Yet still he remained silent, never calling the home that they had shared under the man that brought them together. He never wrote.

A silent, proud, handsome leader. He regained the respect he thought he had lost, finding it in a different place. But it still didn't compare to the atmosphere that the X-Men had had. It didn't compare to fighting along side her and protecting people he actually cared about.

Now he cared about his officers, his soldiers, the ones assigned to him. Yet not too much, not enough to mourn immediately if they died in any assault they faced. He had done that at the beginning, been overly compassionate. He had almost failed and given up, before rebuilding all the walls that she had shaken then torn down. Though the wall that he had built around his heart was already standing, ready from when he had broken up with the most wonderful woman in the world.

Promotions were easy enough, but he remained where she wouldn't see him directly. Her position meant she met troops sometimes, and every time he hid – in the barracks, on any mission that would take him away. But his time was up, he had to meet her, the letter had arrived that morning.

_Major Summers to meet Doctor Grey for routine medical. Attend promptly on the date below_.

* * *

It couldn't be. She reasoned with herself that there could be many Summers men in the army. It wasn't such an uncommon name, not if you looked into the records. That was a lie, she scolded herself, knowing that she had looked into the records and there were only a few.

Every night for five years she had dreamed of seeing him again, hearing him say her name and holding his arms out for her to run into. Every morning she woke up and found the bed next to her empty, still. Doctor Jean Grey knew she was being silly, but she couldn't lose hope. Not now. He was her soul mate, and he owned her heart. He'd have to either give her his or let her go and this meeting would make it a certainty.

Her body ached for his, and her mind itched to brush against his again, to feel the buzz of noise through their once active link. It was painful to look at the pictures of them together, painful to go back to the mansion and see the new couples acting how she and Scott once did. But she looked and she went. It was her duty as he wasn't there.

She had buried herself in her work, become the best there was at what she did. The others had supported her and helped her pull through the bad times, the overwhelming amount of essays, the training work, coping with her powers as they steadily increased. They still didn't make up for his absence.

_Doctor Grey scheduled to examine Major Summers for a routine medical. Be prompt, he hates to wait.  
_

* * *

A chance meeting? Or a set up? Neither knew, neither cared, neither wanted to imagine…

* * *

She straightened her hair, buttoned her coat, prepared her kit. She walked away from her car, her secure life, her buried fire. She walked toward her past, toward unclosed scars, toward her dreams.

It had been hard to drag herself upright this morning, yet she had bounced from her bed, flown to the shower, used her powers alone for the first time in years. Five to be exact. She had smiled as she picked out her clothes, choosing new ones in her old style. Ones that were not flashy and for the press, or boring and sensible for the work she had to do. Ones that were slightly sexy, but flexible, ones she could move in, but flashed a little flesh. Ones he had adored.

Everything she desired would be in front of her in just a few hours. Everything she had dreamt about, yet none of it what she wanted it to be. It was forceful and hard, unexpected yet unchangeable. Today they would have to see one another – look into each others eyes, talk for an hour, or drown in silence. Today she would truly die, or begin to truly live.

* * *

He straightened his shades, ran a hand through his hair, felt the hair on the back of his neck rise. He had landed the night before in New York, stayed in a hotel that was suited for his needs. He now sat in his car, just outside her hospital. He watched the wheel in his hands, his fears rekindling with ferocity.

He got up, got out of the seat. He walked briskly away from the simplicity found in not allowing himself the memories, from the security of being part of a team, from his hidden desire. He grew ever nearer to his past, to scars that had no place in the new life he had etched, toward the beating of his heart that had stopped five years ago.

Last night it had been simple, plane ride to a town – pretend it was a conference, pretend it was anything but a meeting with her. Sleeping had been easy – forget the next day, forget the reason for being here. The pretence, the forgetting was easy when you'd fought in a war; it was easy when you couldn't remember the sights you'd seen, you'd caused. But the sight of her, broken, trembling, crying – that had never left him, not once. It had been twisted by the things he'd seen since, but had remained the most terrifying and heart-wrenching thing he'd ever experienced.

In just a few moments he would be with her again. In a moment he would face the only person that could hurt him, the person who he had left behind to try and forget. In only a second, he would see those eyes, that body, the smile. Just a second, and his heart would break again.

* * *

How was it possible that they could feel so similar, yet remain so distant… How could it be that soul mates were separate… How would it be if they had to watch the other break for a second time…

* * *

"Doctor Grey will see you now."

He stood, the hand back through his hair, just like it used to when he was nervous. The nurse smiled coyly at him and he knew that it wasn't just his position in the army that caused her to do so. He smiled, in a simple friendly way, back at her and knocked on the door.

"_Doctor Grey will see you now."_

* * *

Jean snorted with indignation at the tone her nurse had used. How dare she, yet she didn't know about their past. She slumped for a moment, then sat up, pretending to type a report – really just venting her anger by typing the rudest words she could think of. He knocked and she jumped.

"Come in"

* * *

Their eyes met. Their breath caught. They looked away.

"Major Summers, you've been avoiding m- this check up for a while, I notice."

"No. Other doctors as qualified as you were on hand Doctor."

He didn't use her name. Just 'Doctor'… She winced internally, but pressed on. "I need to ask a few questions, please take a seat Major."

He sat, she typed. She brought up his records and skimmed it for the hundredth time. He let his eyes wander and waited like he had practised. The questions were simple. She asked, he answered, nothing more was said.

"Eye test is needed." She read out, and typed. "I'll put it's fine."

"Don't you think you should actually do the test?" He said, his expression vacant, and tone empty.

Jean looked up, eyes flashing with curiosity. "What?"

Scott half smiled and looked up, meeting her eyes. "You should do the test Jean."

Her heart skipped a beat. His smile caught her off guard and the use of her name stunned her. She felt her knees turn to jelly, and she had to fight to stay upright in her seat.

"I can't, I don't have the right equipment.." She murmured. "I tried, but-"

"But you don't need it." Scott finished for her, putting a hand up to his glasses. "You don't read enough."

Jean's breathlessness turned to anger. "I read plenty thank you very much Summers, I'll have you know that- Stop laughing at me!"

His laughter annoyed her further, but the corners of her mouth twitched upward, although she tried to force them down. He stood to match her stance, and put a hand out to brush her arm.

"Jean, look at the picture in my file…"

She glanced down after a second of glaring heatedly at him. He caught her off guard and she gasped. She didn't see, hear or feel him move.

"Your eyes…" She whispered.

"My eyes…" He breathed, his arms sliding around her waist. "Jean…"

Turning in his embrace, she looked into the face of the man she adored. The man she dreamt of. Trembling she took his glasses from his face and finally looked into the eyes of the man. Their depth consumed her, drowned her and brought her back to life. She could see his soul, laid open before her, she could see everything. She could feel his thoughts brushing against hers as his mind was open, shields all gone.

"Scott.."

Holding her close, he gazed into her eyes, finally seeing her in full colour. The woman of his dreams. The woman he loved. He couldn't find words, but he could feel her mind opening, tasting his thoughts after five years of never seeing, contacting one another. He saw her passion rekindle with new intensity, saw life flow into the body that had been void of love. All the barriers were gone in that second.

Hesitantly, their lips met and their eyes closed, sealing the fire into their souls once more.

Miles away, one man smiled. His children finally were happy again. Charles Xavier looked at the two people sat before him. They smiled and knew it had been a success. Working in unison, they had made a bigger change than anyone could have guessed. Working together, they had obtained a dream and created something more fantastical than there had been in millennia throughout the universe. Working together, they had saved a love that would span the ages, dimensions and people that lived. Working together, they had achieved.

Five years have passed, he thought, five years.

Ten, she argued, ten if you include what happened.

I don't, he smiled, I wasn't alive in those years.

Me neither, she agreed, me neither.

In front of them sat their two children, a three year old little girl with red hair and green eyes, and a year old little boy with brown hair and blue eyes. Their legacy, their lives, their love.

Our hopes, our dreams, our deepest prayers. Answered by knowing.

Knowing that Time CAN Heal Everything.

* * *

I hope this apology is enough and also you still care :'( I haven't forgotten and I'll try to do the next chapter within the next few weeks – but I have a lot of work to do if I wanna go to University next year (too many essays )

If you liked Kindergarten or Vacation, I've updated those too, so check it out if you have time.

Much luv t' y'all

Summers Groupie

-X-X-X-


End file.
